Police find alleged letter writers

Girl, 16, to face juvenile charges in three Buchanan threat cases.

Girl, 16, to face juvenile charges in three Buchanan threat cases.

March 22, 2006|CAROL DRAEGER Tribune Staff Writer

BUCHANAN -- The 16-year-old Buchanan teen who police say wrote threatening notes at Buchanan High School was picked up by police early Tuesday. The girl is being held at the Berrien County Juvenile Center in Berrien Springs until she has a court hearing, said Buchanan Police Chief Bill Marx. The teen is being tried as a juvenile and has been charged with communicating a false bomb threat and an act of terrorism, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office said. In the last two weeks the girl reportedly authored three anonymous notes, including two that listed students by name and said harm would be done to them. Buchanan police solved the mystery of the letter writer last Thursday when the girl confessed during a taped interview. She also said she did not plan to carry out the threats and police confirmed that she did not have the capabilities to act on the threats. The girl has been suspended from school and will face a permanent expulsion hearing on March 30, Superintendent David Casey said Tuesday. Another girl who penned a similar threatening note last week at Berrien Springs Middle School also faces a hearing on terrorism charges. Prosecutors said a 14-year-old wrote a threatening letter last week to copy the anonymous threats at Buchanan High School. The girl told police she wrote the note to win the affection of a male, school officials said.Staff writer Carol Draeger: cdraeger@sbtinfo.com (269) 687-7005